Strawberry and Platinum
by butchspice
Summary: A bit of a romance story between Elsa and Anna. An AU, but they're still sisters, just in the modern world. Things slowly build up; this won't be rushed. Maybe a bit of smut in there later on.. who knows? ( Anna's POV ) Elsanna Some chapters might be a little bit shorter than usual, and I'm sorry in advance for that-
1. Dreaming

"I'm in love with you, Anna."

Those six simple, sweet words rolled off of my lover's tongue so smoothly. It was like being wrapped in a blanket made of velvet, or falling into a pool of creamy chocolate frosting. It was what I always wanted to hear, what I'd been dreaming of my whole life; or at least, as long as I had known Kristoff. Before I could even think of a response, let alone say something, his face began to close in on me. All I could do was stare into his perfect, tobacco colored eyes, watching as they slowly closed and his gentle lips puckered. I let my own blue orbs flutter shut, plunging my world into darkness which didn't bother me much because I knew what was about to come. I leaned up, aching for the feeling of his warm lips crashing into mine.

Just as fate was about to be sealed, a loud and very annoying banging wiggled its way into the scene. My eyes shot open, and to my dismay, there was no dreamy blonde jock staring back at me. What there was, however, was an empty bedroom. _My_ empty bedroom. With its lavender walls, hardwood floor, and unfortunately empty bed. Oh, what I wouldn't give to wake up next to Kristoff one of these days. Just as I breathed out a sigh, the banging came again, which I soon realized was coming from the other side of my bedroom door. Whoever had ruined my beautiful dream was about to get an even ruder awakening than I had.

I kicked off the heavy comforter that I'd had since I turned twelve. Mother had gotten it for me on my birthday, and although it wasn't anything I'd normally like to be seen using- pink with flowers all over it- I slept with it every night. Anything to keep my mom close to my heart. She'd hardly left anything when she passed away, so I held onto whatever I had. After I got out of my bed, I made sure to lay it back down and smooth it out. Not the best made bed, but decent. I didn't bother looking in the mirror. I knew my hair was a mess and there was probably dried drool somewhere on my chin. The person outside my door could deal with the ferocious image.

I opened my door reluctantly, not exactly wanting to leave my room. I just wished I could fall back asleep and pick up where Kris and I left off. But, as soon as I revealed myself, my sister was practically right in my face. I don't know who else I expected, anyway. It was just the two of us in the house.

"Finally! God, could you be any harder to wake up? You're gonna be late for school if you don't get your ass in the shower right now!"

Ah, Elsa. She was so charming and sweet in the morning. Definitely the best big sister ever, and that was the honest truth. As much as I hated waking up to her (she was so grumpy this early) I had to admit that no one had ever been there for me like she had. Of course there was that long period of time where we didn't talk; she has some freaky ice powers, and she kept herself locked up so she wouldn't hurt me. But when people finally found out (including me), she just broke out of her shell and opened up. It was pretty cool, actually. I loved watching her do tricks, make snowflakes, hell, I even loved when she threw snowballs at me to get my attention. So did everyone at the school.

"I'm up, Els. Relax. It's not like being a few minutes late would kill anybody," I pointed out, trying to sound as calm as possible. The truth is that I'm a huge bitch in the morning too, which I won't try to deny. But, come on, who's actually happy at 6:30 AM? No one that I know. I pushed past Elsa, making my way down the hall and into the bathroom. I found an outfit already laid out on the toilet seat. A pair of jeans, a green t-shirt with some sort of pattern across the chest, and of course my underclothes. Elsa always picked out clothes for me when she knew I'd be running late. It was so kind of her, really. She was like a mother to me sometimes, but the way we argued, it was always clear that she was my big sis. She took full responsibility for me now. When she had turned twenty, she bought us this house and we moved out of our temporary home with our grandparents. I was seventeen now. I was a junior in high school, and Elsa happened to be a teacher's assistant. She brought me to school every morning and if she had to stay a bit later to help out with something, I would stay with her. I didn't mind.

The hot water propelling down onto my bare chest seemed to melt my grumpy mood away. It's not like the dream mattered; I would get my kiss from Kristoff when I got to school, anyway. Lucky for me, he actually _was_ my boyfriend. All my dreams were just visions of our future. I'd see him right when I got there. The thought brought a smile to my lips. I snapped back to reality when I remembered that I had to shower quickly, otherwise I'd be late. I didn't care so much if I was, but I wouldn't want to get Elsa in trouble. And with her being my ride, she would have to suffer the consequences for my actions. I quickly ducked my head under the stream of water, shuddering at the way it tickled the back of my neck when the droplets landed and dripped down my shoulders. Within seconds, my messy crop of reddish hair was drenched. When it was wet, I almost looked like a brunette rather than a ginger. My freckles could tell you otherwise, though. They weren't obnoxiously noticeable, but you could tell I had them. They peppered my cheeks and the bridge of my nose.

In a few minutes, I had my body and hair washed. All that was left was to rinse the conditioner out of my hair. I ducked under the water once more, squinting my eyes when the water dripped down my forehead. It was white from the conditioner. I scrubbed my slender fingers through my tangled hair, speeding up the rinsing. The water dripping from my hair soon became clear and I lifted my head, turning the glass handle until the stream died down and the water stopped coming. A chill rocked my body when I stepped out onto the bathmat. Because of Elsa's ice powers, it was always cold in the house, even though right now it was the beginning of June. She didn't mind it, of course, and I tried not to let it bother me too much. I wouldn't want Elsa to feel bad about it. It's not like she can control it, after all.

I dried my body with the towel Elsa had hung on the hook by the shower. When I ran the fabric over my stomach, I took a moment to glance down at the way it looked. I had abs, you could say. My stomach was toned and rock hard. I'd done so many sports in the past because mom always signed me up so I could make friends, and now Elsa had me doing softball. She loved coming to my games, my practices, seeing how happy I was to be running around and actually being good at something. I loved the sport, so it wasn't a hassle, and the way it kept my body in shape made me feel great. Kristoff loved it, too.

The outfit I wore actually suited me nicely. Thanks, Elsa. I knew I wouldn't have time to blow dry my hair though. It was way too thick to thoroughly dry in a few minutes, so I threw the towel over my head and rubbed it around to soak up some of the water. It didn't do much, but it didn't matter. I always kept my long, strawberry blonde hair bundled up in two pigtail braids, which is what I was tying them into for today. My bangs fell messily over my forehead, but it was whatever. Appearance wasn't a huge deal for me, which is why I never bothered taking the time to put on make up. With a final glance in the mirror, I ventured back out into the hallway and made my way to the kitchen. Elsa was standing by the table with my backpack hanging on the corner of the chair next to her.

"All your stuff is packed," the blonde said, patting my plaid backpack. "I checked your homework, too. Everything's right. I'm proud of you, Bananna."

I groaned at the hideous nickname. I couldn't believe we were seventeen and twenty years old, but Elsa still used it against me. Well, maybe not _against_ me, but she sure loved to tease me with it. I laughed anyway, grabbing my backpack and slinging it over my shoulder.

"Really? You can't let that horrible nickname go, can you, Snowflake?" I said the nickname mockingly, deciding to return fire. It's what sisters did, apparently. Elsa cringed playfully, hitting my shoulder with a look that said 'I love you, but you suck'. Our parents had given us those names as children, and like I said; whatever we had from them, we held onto. No matter how embarrassing it was.

Without another word, we made our way outside into the summer sun. I always loved to see the sun this early. The way it painted the sky with different shades of orange, red, yellow and sometimes even purple just made my morning. A good sunrise could get me through the day, no problem. It was ridiculously hot though, and the fact that Elsa had worn a hoodie made me feel like sweating. I knew that if I pointed it out, she'd give me the same answer. 'I'm cold'. Yeah.

Taking my seat up front, I put my backpack between my feet on the floor of the car and smiled over at Elsa. She started the engine and returned the smile, speeding off down the road in the way that made my stomach flutter. She was a responsible driver, a good one, too. But when the roads were empty and it was just us, she'd go fast, knowing it always gave me a ticklish feeling, sort of a rush. Even though I'd woken up late, the rest of my morning was going just fine. Soon I'd be at school, with my friends and with Kristoff. I couldn't wipe the grin off my face.


	2. What Sisters Do

The tiniest squeak of surprise bursted out of me when I felt strong arms lift me into the air. I kicked for a moment before I realized it was Kristoff, as if his gruff laughter didn't give it away. He was so playful, and to be honest, sometimes I hated it. I mean, suddenly floating off the ground while you're trying to open your locker doesn't always come across as a calming, sweet act in the morning. But, I was in his secure grasp, where I always felt the safest. Even if his arms could crush my tiny frame like a toothpick.

"Come on, mountain man. I have to get my books," I said with a laugh. I heard him make fake whining noises while he slowly set me down. Books were my second concern, however. As soon as my feet made contact with the tiled floor, I spun around to see Kristoff standing with his arms already outstretched to grab me. Which is exactly what he did when I threw myself at him. I snaked my slender arms around his neck and took the time to bury my nose in his solid chest. The silky material of his varsity jacket tickled my nose, but that didn't matter. His arms wrapped around my body and pulled me closer to him; as if I wasn't close enough already. I never really was. I would melt into him if I could.

I inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar scent of my lover. He smelled of pine and cold air. I wasn't even sure cold air had an actual scent, but it was there. It was refreshing, almost, just to breath in his presence. Pine, cold air, and sometimes even running water. Like how it smells when you sit by a river in the woods. Kristoff just smelled like nature, and it was the most calming scent I'd ever inhaled. I wanted to pull him back in when he let go, but I knew the bell would ring soon. I wasn't late, fortunately, which meant Elsa wasn't either. She was probably in her classroom by now, getting her assignments already.

"So, shorty," Kristoff said, ruffling my damp crop of hair. "You wake up late today or what?"

I thumped his chest with the back of my hand, moving my head away. He'd probably just messed it up, even though it probably didn't look like a masterpiece in the first place. He always knew whether I slept well or not, whether I had a rough morning, everything. And he knew I was late due to the fact that my hair obviously wasn't dry; there were damp streaks down the front of my green shirt where my braids rested. I turned my back to him and rotated the dial on my combination lock, twisting it this way and that until it clicked open. A laugh fell from my lips while I pulled out my English and History textbooks, along with a binder.

"You're right, and you wanna know why?" I pushed my locker door shut and then twirled around, clutching my materials to my chest. "It's 'cause I was having such a nice dream about you."

The corner of Kristoff's mouth raised into that dreamy half-smile he always used on me. God, it made my heart race. I returned the smile, raising my eyebrows at him only to see his mimick my expression. We both erupted into laughter that ended with him placing a large, rough hand on my cheek. Before I knew it, the scene from this morning was being recreated in front of me, except this time, Elsa wouldn't be knocking. My lips finally met his and it gave me a tingling feeling just like every other time. He tasted how he smelled; refreshing, cool, outdoorsy. I could keep our lips together for an entire day and not get sick of it. Unfortunately, he pulled away sooner than I wanted, smiling down at me the way he always did after a kiss.

"I guess dreams do come true," I mumbled. It was probably the corniest thing I'd ever said, but hey, what's a relationship without cheesy comments?

"I suppose they do," Kristoff laughed. He gave me one last hug before strutting off down the busy hallway. Our first classes were pretty much on separate sides of the school, as I headed in the opposite direction. I didn't make it far, because someone nudged my shoulder hard enough to make me gasp in surprise, dropping my books on the ground in front of me. Before I could turn around and snap on whoever it was, there was a giggle and Elsa was already kneeling down in front of me. She scooped up my things in her arms and rose, handing them to me.

"Sorry sis, didn't mean to bump you _that _hard," the older one apologized. I took my things back and laughed as she did. I'm pretty sure Elsa was the only one who could do that and not get my knuckles to their nose. Before I replied, I admired the outfit she had chosen today which I didn't pay attention to in my rush this morning. She wore a slim-fitting, blueish-green blouse that hugged her figure nicely. It reminded me of the ocean, the way the fabric folded and dipped. She wore a black skirt with it that stopped at her knees. The skirt wasn't as tight as the blouse. It flowed out further down, the hem having a slightly wavy design rather than being a blunt line all the way around. I could ever get over how amazing her hair was, either. It was such a strong shade of blonde, it nearly looked white. The way she braided it was like a form of art compared to my messy ones. Each strand of hair twisted around perfectly, like puzzle pieces meant to fit together.

"It's alright, I'm a big girl remember?" I teased. We laughed some more and started down the hallway, where I discovered that we were going to be in the same first period today. Elsa was the assistant for my History class today. I found that extremely ironic, but helpful; History was my worst subject, but it was my sister's strong point. She always helped me with homework and studying. Sometimes, she even made flashcards for me to remember definitions.

My seat was closer to the back of the room, in the corner by the window. Surprisingly, I never got distracted. Being further away from the teacher helped me focus more. It's not as stressful when she's not looming over my desk. I hated asking for help though because she always looked at me like I was hopeless, even though I really did try my best. For some reason, I just couldn't capture the information like I could in all my other subjects. So, I never raised my hand, which only led me to more confusion. About halfway through the period, Elsa noticed me struggling with the assignment. She could just tell, since she saw the confused expression all the time at home. When I lifted my head, there she was, pulling up a chair to sit by me.

"Alright, so what's going on?" She asked, tapping the bottom of her black pen on my open book.

The remainder of the class was spent with Elsa and I reading sections of the chapter together, taking notes, me making mistakes and her double-checking my work before I handed it in. I don't know where I'd be without her. I'm sure I'd have an 'F' in History instead of a 'B-'. The bell rang and the classroom was filled with the sounds of chairs scraping against the floor and kids shouting in the hallway.

"We can work on this more later on," Elsa said while I packed up my things. Later on? I had a softball practice right after school, and she'd already have to take the time to stay with me for that.

"Don't you want some time to yourself? I mean, you were stuck with me for a full hour, and you're with me for two more after school. You really don't mind helping?" I questioned. It was a nice offer, but she had to get sick of me sometimes. I could be impossible when it came to schoolwork. I got frustrated very easily when I didn't understand things.

"Of course I don't mind. I love spending time with you," the blonde said warmly. She patted my back, smiling at me. "Now go on, get to class. I'll meet you at the back field at 2:30."

As I walked back out into the hallway, I smiled. Elsa was an amazing big sister and every day, I thought more and more about how miserable I'd be without her.


	3. Pushing For Pride

If there was one thing softball taught me, it's that dirt and pebbles definitely didn't taste good.

I opened my eyes to find myself face down on the baseline in the infield, my bare right hand clutching the rugged white bag of second base and my gloved left hand pressed against the ground by my side. I heard my coach blow her whistle and shout several enthusiastic comments in my direction, which brought a smile to my lips that quickly vanished into a grimace of annoyance. A bolt of pain snaked from my wrist to the tips of my fingers; when I took my hand off of the base and examined it, I cringed at the bits of skin hanging from the already-bleeding cuts that criss-crossed over my palm. I couldn't tell whether I had scraped it on the bag or the ground, because both were covered in sand so the bits of gravel dotting the bloody crevices gave no clear indication. I brought myself unsteadily to my feet with a groan of pain that caused my coach to glance over at me once again. I looked at my legs and saw a trail of thick, crimson blood drip down from my left knee and merge into the cuff of my purple sock. A few of my teammates made concerned remarks when they noticed the dark red streak standing out against the gray, dusty surface of my leg, and followed it up to the gash that it leaked from. I sent them a nod and examined the rest of my body; not only were my legs painted in a coat of dirt, but so were my black, mid-thigh length shorts that I always wore to practices. Even my purple uniform t-shirt was practically gray now. I used my gloved hand to brush off my clothing and my legs, but it didn't make much of a difference considering the glove itself was caked with dirt. I always wore just one of my batting gloves, because that way I could be ready faster when I was up- although now, I sort of wished I had worn both, because while one hand was fine the other was scraped and stinging.

"Anna, nice slide! That would've been safe," my coach praised me before approaching, resting her bony hand on my shoulder. "Go have a seat in the dugout and get yourself cleaned up."

I hated sliding practice. I was good at it, for sure, but I never left without some kind of injury; whether it be a scrape, an actual cut, or a raspberry, which is what I called the blistering red marks that I often got on the backs of my thighs. Luckily, I didn't get any of those this time but that didn't take my mind off the throbbing in my leg and hand. When I sat down on the splintery wooden bench in the dugout, I couldn't help but wish I was at home in my own bed, or maybe even just on the couch watching a movie or something; anywhere but here. Though I was extremely passionate about the sport and always tried my best, it got a bit exhausting sometimes to the point where I'd rather stay home than go to Saturday morning practices. I wouldn't want to disappoint the team, though, or Elsa. She loved watching me play, like I said, and I would hate for her to think of me as a quitter or a softy; I was neither of those things.

As soon as I'd thought about her, there was a light banging on the cage-like wall of the dugout to my left side, reminding me of the event from this morning where I'd been startled out of my dream. I glanced over and sure enough, it was my sister, startling me out of my thoughts this time instead. Fortunately, I was sitting on the very end of the bench close to the wall, so I didn't have to get up and make my way over to speak with her. Before I could open my mouth to greet her, Elsa gazed down at my injury and frowned, leaning against the fence to get a better look.

"Jeez, Anna, _another_ one?" Elsa sighed. Her gaze traveled up from my bloody knee to meet my own stare, and for a second I caught a look of pure concern and love in her cerulean eyes. It quickly dissolved into a look that was both playful, yet still filled with concern, and she managed a small laugh before crossing her arms over her chest. "You never leave this place without a new mark."

It was true. I giggled without actually answering and returned my attention to my legs; there were scars here and there, some cuts that had finally scabbed over, a few bruises and my brand new trophy to add to the collection- which, now that I remembered, was still bleeding. Most of it had clotted and become gooey by now so it came off easily when I swiped a paper towel along the path it created, but my skin was still sticky and stained red. I hated to waste my precious water on a hot day like this, but it didn't look like the coach would have me participate in any more of the practice since there was only fifteen minutes left. I untwisted the cap of my water bottle and poured some onto another paper towel, but as soon as I felt a fresh stinging in my palm I flinched, dropping the towel and my water in the process. I balled my hand into a fist and heard a gasp come from Elsa when she realized I'd had more than just the cut on my knee. Water ran under the bench, darkening the concrete floor of the dugout as well as soaking the sunflower seed shells that my teammates and I had carelessly spit out during games. Looking around at all the shells, I laughed; after all, what was a softball field if the dugouts weren't covered in sunflower seeds?

Now I relaxed, opening my hand to show my sister the scrape across the palm that had stopped bleeding sooner than my knee, and she sighed in relief, thankful that it wasn't anything too bad. It would hurt to write for a few days, I could tell. I couldn't even make a fist without it feeling like I was crushing a thousand bees.

"I'm fine, Els. I'll take a shower when I get home to really clean it out," I reassured the blonde outside the gate, picking up my fallen water bottle and noticing that most of it had spilled out. It wasn't worth saving the last few mouthfuls, so I poured it onto the gash in my knee, tensing up at the pinch of pain but quickly recovering when the icy liquid started to soothe it. Coach waved over at me and gave permission for me to head home early; she knew that I was aware of our game this Friday and didn't feel the need to remind me, and I beamed at the fact that she trusted me as a reliable player. Standing wasn't as difficult this time but there was still a tight feeling in my left leg when I put my weight on it. I unhooked my bag from the link in the fence and carried it out by the loop at the top, grabbing my bat from the rack with my scraped hand and pushing my way out through the gate. Elsa took my bag from me with a smile, ruffling my hair the same way Kristoff had at school that morning.

"You did a great job today. I'm really proud of you, Anna," Elsa praised me, tossing my bag in the backseat of her car before opening the door for me on the passenger's side up front. "All these injuries just show how tough my little sister is."

I ducked into the car and pulled the heavy door shut, sinking back into the soft leather of the seat and laughing as she started the engine. Whenever others complimented me, it made me feel great, and I always said my thanks with a friendly smile. But, when the compliments came from Elsa, it made me feel like I could do absolutely anything so long as she told me I could, and I wanted to throw myself at her and embrace her instead of just smiling. Was that weird? Maybe. It sounded strange, the way it played out in my head, and the image itself was even a little off although I was sure I'd done that to her many times when we were kids. It was nothing more than sisterly affection; of course her words would mean more to me than anybody else's. Besides Kristoff, she was all I had left, and the only one who I knew truly loved me. Sometimes, I second guessed her love; not that I ever thought she didn't love me, but.. there were times when I thought she loved me a little more than my big sister should.


	4. Flurries

"Alright, that looks good, Anna. Half of your homework is done, why don't we take a little break?"

Elsa's tired eyes met mine from across the small coffee table in our living room and I nodded my agreement, lazily folding my arms on the smooth surface and burying my face in them. I'd gotten so much homework that night; not just for History, which is what my sister was currently guiding me through, but for all my other subjects as well, including my writing class. Algebra, English, and Biology didn't provide any sort of challenge to me whatsoever, and I had finished those assignments on my own in less than an hour. Now, I had about a fourth of my History homework left, then I had to write a few examples of imagery for my creative writing class and I would be done for the night. It was only 6:00pm, but I felt absolutely drained of all the energy that I had when my day started.

When I heard Elsa shift in front of me, I raised my head to see her stand up from her position on the opposite couch and grab her blue hooded sweatshirt off the arm. A look of disbelief crossed my features when I wondered once again how she could wear such concealing clothing in the summer heat, until I remembered that she was always cold. _That must be awful in winter,_ I thought. My own body felt uncomfortably warm and I could feel the moisture in my hair, on my back, under my arms and on my stomach. Even with hardly any clothing on (I'd changed into a loose t-shirt and nothing but my panties after practice), I was still gasping for breath. Sometimes, I envied Elsa's constantly chilled body.

My sister must've noticed that I was practically drenched in my own sweat, because just as I lifted my legs off the floor and swung them over to sprawl out across the couch, she waved her hand in an elegant, fluid motion. I felt my body temperature drop instantly as a chill overtook me; not one that made me freeze, but enough to swallow the heat and stop the sweat beading on my forehead. Several unique, sparkling snowflakes drifted through the air above me, not fluttering down like a normal snowfall.. they just sort of hung there, suspended in place but still waving around. A laugh came from across the room when I breathed a sigh of relief, shutting my eyes to relax for the first time that day.

"Let me know if you get too cold, I'm gonna go make something for dinner," Elsa's voice rang in my ears before she walked out of the living room and across the hall into the kitchen. The sound of running water followed, along with the clattering of metal pots, silverware, and probably a few cups. I kept my eyes shut, simply enjoying the icy shiver that ran down my spine and looking back on how my day played out, starting from my dream-come-true all the way to where I was now, on the couch. Overall, it had been a good day even with my new battle scars from softball practice and it could only keep going smoothly; I would eat whatever Elsa made, finish my homework, then we'd probably have bonding time like we did every night when all our responsibilities were taken care of.

When Elsa and I spent quality time together- that was my favorite part of each day. It had been her idea to start reserving the end of the day for each other, probably as a way to make up for all the lost time from the thirteen years of separation we had endured. To me, all that time could never actually be made up, but I cherished every minute that I spent by her side and vowed to never let her leave my life again. Of course, some day she'd have to; when she went to college to become a certified teacher. I knew that, and I'd been mentally and emotionally preparing myself for the day when she'd walk out the door and leave me to take care of the house all on my own. The idea of living by myself wasn't scary in the slightest, but the empty feeling I got in my chest when I thought of Elsa being somewhere else absolutely broke me. I loved her so much, and-

"I have a steak cooking and I made a salad to go with it, is that alright?" I opened my eyes quickly, turning my head towards the doorway to see the tall blonde standing there, looking at me patiently. A warm smile played on her bright red lips, standing out against her porcelain skin. The contrast between the intensity of the colors made her look irresistibly beautiful- not that she wasn't already. _She's already got a salad made and everything? How long was I thinking for?_

"Oh, yeah. That sounds great, actually. Thanks," I groaned lightly, stretching as I spoke; my muscles still felt tense and sore from practice but I ignored the small twinge of pain that tugged at my legs and upper body. Elsa laughed softly, saying something else that came through my ears all muffled while I was in post-stretch. I assumed she'd just confirmed my thanks and she turned, going back to finish cooking while I sat up on the couch and sank back into the cushion, wishing it would swallow me whole. My face began to burn and a sudden wave of heat crashed over me even though the flurries still swirled around above my head. _Am I blushing?_ I thought, raising a hand to touch my freckled cheek; it felt incredibly hot under my fingertips.

Okay, so I'm staring at my own_ sister_, completely entranced by how gorgeous she is, and now I'm blushing after talking to her. I couldn't decide if this day was going as well as I'd thought, or if it was just getting weirder. I settled on the fence between the two choices, trying to brush off the thoughts but to no avail. I felt strange- like I was almost attracted to my sister or something- and glanced over at my phone that had lit up with a new text message from Kristoff. Without bothering to read it, I grabbed the phone and turned it over, placing it face down on the coffee table.


	5. Mixed Up Mess

Vibrations tickled my thigh once again; this was the fourth time Kristoff had texted me since I sat down at the table with Elsa to eat dinner, and I was getting annoyed by this point. After the flurry had gotten me a bit too chilly, I'd put on a pair of baggy gray sweatpants and asked Elsa to get rid of it, but I could barely keep my phone in the pocket since Kristoff wouldn't leave me be. I'm glad he cares enough to text me repeatedly but I just wish he'd get it through his head that maybe I'm busy, or maybe I'm silently cursing myself for finding my sister attractive. A girl's not always free to talk to her boyfriend, you know.

I decided to text him after I was finished eating since Elsa and I were having a conversation about my softball game this Friday and it'd be rude to just pull out my phone while she was in mid-sentence. As she spoke, I tried to force down another bite of the steak she'd made but I found it hard to swallow- not that it wasn't good or anything. I just couldn't forget about the previous events from the living room, and the disgust I felt towards myself seemed to have leaked out onto my dinner and ruined my appetite. The meat felt stringy and dry between my teeth even though she'd cooked it perfectly, just the way I always liked it, and I knew that past all of the bitterness in my mouth it was delicious. Elsa's words trailed off when she caught me staring at the table and she shot me a questioning look, one dark eyebrow raised. I could feel her icy stare chilling my body right to the bone, and only when I glanced up to meet her eyes did I realize that I'd been chewing on the same piece of steak for the past three minutes.

We held each other's gaze for a brief moment before I finally swallowed the lump in my throat along with the mashed up piece of meat which was even less appetizing after being in my mouth for so long. She didn't need to verbally ask; her cobalt eyes held the question, "What's going on with you?"

"Sorry," I mumbled, pushing my bangs out of my face as casually as I could manage with Elsa staring at me like that. I must've looked awkward either way because she crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back in her chair while our eyes never broke contact. I thought I was about to faint from embarrassment, awkwardness, and a little bit of something else that I couldn't put my finger on. "I just feel a little sick.. I-it's not the food! The food is great as always, but I just- My head hurts, I guess."

Elsa's expression softened at my rambling; she knew I did that when I felt nervous and she usually knew what was making me feel that way. Except this time, I couldn't tell if she knew or not, but I don't think she had a clue because neither did I. I opened my mouth to speak again but she stood up, pushing her chair back and crossing over to my side of the table to pick up my plate. She gave me the warmest of smiles that seemed to sweep away any trace of coldness in her, then she grabbed some plastic wrap from under the sink and sealed my dinner, placing it in the fridge.

"How about we have our bonding time now, then, and we can work on your homework later when you feel better?" Elsa offered, although a gleam in her eyes told me that she knew I was bothered by something more than a headache. I didn't hesitate to agree, realizing that maybe if I played it off like I could hardly focus with the way my head was 'pounding' she would believe that I was sick. Another vibration in my pocket reminded me that Kristoff was still wondering why I hadn't texted him all evening. A frustrated groan slipped out of me and my sister laughed knowingly, waving me away with her hand before walking into the living room and grabbing the TV remote.

"I've heard that thing buzzing in your pocket all through dinner," Elsa teased, pressing the top button of the silver remote. The TV screen blinked before fading from black to white, a movie menu showing up after a few seconds. I smiled at her; a movie night was just what I needed right now. She returned the smile before telling me to go call him before he had a panic attack; he probably already did, but oh well.

Making my way down the dark hall and into my bedroom, I shut the door behind me and slid my phone out of my pocket. Almost as soon as I did, the screen lit up with another text and the previous five were listed under it:

"Hey babe 3"  
"Babe?"  
"Are u busy?"  
"Hello?"  
"Why aren't u txting me?"  
"Are u ok?"

Good gracious, boys could be an armful, and Kristoff was no exception even though I loved him. I furrowed my brow at the thought; I was pretty sure I loved him since I'd been with him for five months, and he was everything a girl could want in a guy.. I think. Feelings were confusing enough as it is, and now I've got myself even more confused just when I thought I'd settled down with what I wanted.

Rather than texting him back, I called him, reluctantly touching my thumb to the screen where his name and number was shown. It only rang once before I heard a muffled click and I held my breath, waiting for him to say something which would probably be an exclamation about how he'd missed me and was worried about me. Sure enough, his voice came through in a gasp.

"Anna! I'm so happy to hear from you!" I cringed; _Please don't say that_, I thought, my head still spinning from the way Elsa had smiled at me before I escaped to my room. Now I really was getting a headache.

"Y-yeah, um.. sorry about that. I was doing homework, and then I had to eat dinner, and you know how Elsa gets when I text while she's talking to me and-" His laugh cut me off and I pouted, angry at the fact that he seemed to be finding this funny when he was pretty much whining over me not answering him earlier. Once he composed himself, so did I, taking a silent deep breath to relax before I went off on him. "Yeah, well, I wish I could talk more but I gotta go. Elsa is calling me to finish my homework," I lied.

Kristoff let me go easily, giving me the usual 'Goodnight, I love you' talk which I returned much less enthusiastically than him and hung up, tossing my phone onto my bed. It bounced when it hit the mattress, falling off the edge and landing on the ground but I didn't really care; it wouldn't break and I knew that for a fact considering all the times I'd dropped it accidentally. I was able to calm down now that I had Kristoff taken care of, but there was still Elsa sitting on the couch in the living room, waiting for me to come in and sit beside her to watch whatever movie she'd chosen tonight. Like I said, spending time with her was the highlight of any day, but now with the questioning thoughts in the back of my head, I was worried about being so close to her. I wasn't going to back out though, because I knew it was her favorite part of the day too. Slipping out of my room, I ventured back into the living room and cast her a small grin before settling onto the couch next to her, making sure to leave a cushion of space between us. Elsa looked at me, reaching out an arm and shaking her head.

"Nope, come here. Lay down if your head hurts. Sitting up won't do you any good."

She had to be kidding me. Now, _that_ definitely wasn't going to help. Hesitantly, willingly, with a mixture of emotions and thoughts, I brought my legs up onto the couch and laid across the cushion that separated us, my head just reaching her lap. I placed my head down, my cheek resting against her thigh which was unnaturally cold like I expected, but with the heat rising in my cheeks again I could hardly notice it. I felt a hand rest softly on my shoulder before I squeezed my eyes shut, the sounds of the movie slowly fading into a murmur as sleep unwillingly blanketed me.


	6. Rainy Days

"Anna?"

I snapped away from my thoughts at the sound of my name and turned my head, finding Kristoff staring at me, a look of confusion mixed with concern gracing his features. I'd nearly forgotten that I was with him for a few minutes due to the fact that I couldn't stop worrying about the strange feelings I got around Elsa last night. Here I was, sitting on Kristoff's couch with him, wrapped in his arms and staring right back at him but yet, I didn't know what I felt. I had asked him to hangout after school this morning, thinking that maybe if I were alone with him my feelings would sort themselves out - as if it would ever be that simple - and they seemed to only be getting mixed up more.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" I asked, a little sheepishly to say the least. I had a problem with getting lost in my own mind, often when others were talking, and I always ended up asking people to repeat themselves. How Kristoff could put up with it, I'll never know; I can't even count how many times I'd done that to him. He smiled down at me, a soft chuckle slipping through his lips which were soon pressed to my forehead in a gentle kiss. He usually did that to calm me down, and it usually worked, although right now I can't say that it did. I frowned, leaning forward and burying my face in his chest so that he wouldn't see. I couldn't let him know that something was wrong, because I didn't even know exactly what was wrong; I was scared and confused. But, that was my own problem.

Strong but gentle hands stroked through my hair (which I had taken out of my braids today) and I immediately began to relax. No matter who it was, playing my with my hair calmed me down; hell, you could be holding a knife to my throat, but if you ran your fingers through my hair I'd probably let you get away with it.

"I said," Kristoff murmured with another chuckle. "That you seem upset about something."

Well, someone was a mindreader today. Again, I refused to let him know, so rather than give a reply I simply grunted into his chest and held onto him tighter, as if my life depended on being in his arms. Maybe it did, who knows. He seemed to get the hint and he dropped the subject, continuing with the soft strokes and quiet mumbles of sweet nothings to try and relax me further. I felt myself beginning to drift off again, this time into sleep rather than thought, until a car beeped its horn outside. Elsa; she was supposed to be picking me up. Was it really five o'clock already?

The idea of being with my sister again made me happier than it should've on a normal day. I pulled myself away from Kristoff's embrace and stood, smoothing out my clothes and already walking towards the door when I heard my boyfriend clear his throat. _Oh, right - I'm supposed to kiss him, aren't I?_

"What, no kiss goodbye?" He joked when I turned around to face him, a playful smile on his lips as his arms wrapped around me once more. I leaned up, hesitant at first, and kissed him softly but quickly, pulling away right after. He got that hint, too. With a final goodbye, I turned back towards the door; I could see Elsa's car waiting outside through the wide window and could just make out her features. Although the look on her face wasn't exactly pleasant. If I had to come up with one word for her expression, I couldn't, but it almost looked.. jealous.

Whatever. Today was already going downhill, and I wasn't going to try and focus on the weirder things in life. Tucking my hair behind my ear, I walked out to the car and it wasn't until I felt the drops on my skin that I realized it was raining. How long the storm had been going on, I had no idea; I barely knew what day it was.

Elsa looked at me questioningly as I sat in the passenger's seat, and I returned the look after I closed the door. She looked down at my shirt, taking notice of the dark splatters across my shoulders from the raindrops, and the little droplets beading on my bare arms. She raised a brow, looking back past the windshield at Kristoff's house.

"Did you leave your sweater in there?" She asked. So, that's what the look was for- I hadn't even noticed that I wasn't wearing it, but I didn't really want to go back inside to get it, either. I thought Elsa would make me; she could be like that sometimes, not wanting to leave something behind if she could still go grab it, but she caught the look on my face that betrayed my thoughts and smiled sweetly at me. Damn that smile, I thought. It was gonna kill me one of these days. "Just have him bring it to you in school tomorrow." Whew; thank god my sister was an understanding person.

During the ride home, a sudden drowsiness came over me, even though it was still early in the evening and I was always up late. My eyes were focused on the scenery that flashed by in a blur of colors out the window, the image distorted even more by the raindrops that ran down the glass. The child in me was still alive, I guess; I picked out two droplets in my mind, deciding they were going to have a race to see which one could reach the bottom first. I remembered always doing this whenever it rained - I'd find the nearest window wherever I was and play my silly little game. One drop was going agonizingly slow and the other was already halfway to the bottom, so I bet on that one. Sure enough, it melted into the rubber piece at the bottom of the window first. I sort of half-smiled at my reflection in the side-view mirror; at least I wasn't completely grown up yet.

"So," Elsa spoke suddenly, causing me to flinch away from my race. I heard her laugh softly; she must've noticed me jump and known that I was spacing out yet again. When I sat up straight and looked at her, she was smiling, eyes still on the soaked road ahead, somewhat squinting to see past the blankets of rain that followed each swipe of the windshield wipers. "Did you have a good time with Kristoff?"

_Please don't ask that. Ask any other question except that one._

"Um, yeah, I did," which wasn't true, but it wasn't exactly a lie either. Thankfully, we pulled into the driveway of our house as I finished my sentence, and the awkward conversation could hold off for a minute or two while we went inside. Being pelted by the rain on the way to the door sorta made me wish that I had remembered my sweater. Most times, I liked the rain, but not when I was in the mood that I was.

The warmth of the house calmed me down because it was a familiar warmth. I was in my own place, finally, after a long day of school and a few awkward hours at Kristoff's house. And to make things even better, it was almost 5:30, which meant that Elsa would be making dinner soon and my stomach would stop growling. Finally, I could relax.. or so I thought. Almost as soon as I stepped inside, I felt the heavy weight of Elsa's jacket draped over my shoulders, the scent of her perfume and whatever she used for laundry soap filling my nose along with the natural soothing scent she had. Winter.

"You're shivering, Bananna," Elsa teased, rubbing my arm gently before walking off into the kitchen, flashing me a smile over her shoulder. She just _had_ to use the nickname, didn't she? And she just _had_ to smile at me, right? The same heat from the night before returned to my cheeks, and I knew my face was red, and I knew it was because of my sister.


End file.
